Spain will have Lamine Yamal and Mikel Oyarzabal available for Sunday’s Nations League game with England after both players recovered from fitness problems.
The pair missed Thursday’s 2-0 victory over Czechia in Prague. Yamal had been ruled out because of knee pain, but Spain coach Luis de la Fuente confirmed that the Barcelona forward was feeling better and would rejoin the squad on Friday.
“There is some good news,” De la Fuente said. “Lamine Yamal is feeling good now and is really looking forward to joining the squad [on Friday].
“Mikel is also doing better. One will arrive around midday and the other a little later, but both will be with us [for England].”
Yamal’s absence against Czechia was his first for club or country this season. He had started all 20 of Barcelona and Spain’s matches before Thursday, with 17 goals and 13 assists to his name.
Spain maintained their perfect record in Nations League Group A3 with the win. Atletico Madrid players Alex Baena and Marc Pubill scored as the European and world champions made it five victories from five matches.
They have also extended their unbeaten run to 43 games. Their last defeat came against Colombia in March 2024.
England will provide a tougher test on Sunday after beating Croatia 2-1 at Wembley. The result kept them three points behind Spain, with both sides already assured of places in the Nations League quarter-finals.
The meeting at Atletico’s Metropolitano stadium will decide which team finishes top of the group. Spain could also extend their unbeaten run, although De la Fuente acknowledged that the longer it continues, the closer a defeat may become.
“It will be an opportunity to watch two of the best national teams in the world,” he said. “We want to maintain this momentum going forward and extend this run.
“The thing is, with every match that goes by, defeat gets closer. That’s just how it is, but we’re happy and appreciate what we’re achieving.”
